cannot get nitrates down

[saltyfins]

On the side of not excessively worrying, this is my current recommendation:

Randy’s Thoughts on Nutrient Target Ranges

Thoughts on Nutrient Target Ranges by Randy Holmes-Farley Almost nothing in the world of reef aquarium chemistry causes as much discussion as selecting and maintaining ranges for nitrate and phosphate. Some aquarists want low targets, some want...

www.reef2reef.com

. What targets seem reasonable? Of course, that depends on all the other factors at play, such as types of corals, availability of ammonia, particulate foods, etc. However, for a mature mixed reef, this would be how I personally would run it:

• Let nitrate float between 5 ppm and 50 ppm. I’d use gentle export in this range, such as growing macroalgae.
• Above 50 ppm, I’d begin to focus more on reducing it, by organic carbon dosing, turf or macroalgae, etc.
• Below 5 ppm, I’d begin to dose ammonia or feed more. The target level might drop lower if dosing ammonia, just like the heavy in/heavy out scenario where nitrate may not be as needed.
• Let phosphate float between about 0.06 ppm and 0.3 ppm. This range is higher than I’ve recommended in the past. I’d use gentle export in this range, such as growing macroalgae.
• Above about 0.3 ppm, I’d begin to focus more on reducing it, by turf or macroalgae, or a binder such as GFO or lanthanum (has its own risks to tangs). If a binder: GO SLOW. Turf and macroalgae will typically be slow enough.
• Below 0.06 ppm, I’d begin to dose sodium phosphate or feed more to get the level up.

so you think the levels are fine? I cant then understand why, the corals dont look right. even my large hammer that should have purple tips, hasnt for about a year. it's healthy looking...fat and doing it's hammer thing, but the colors. acros, same thing. when I do my corrections with MS., they improve, but then they fade back out. Not the hammer, there's no change there. ICP was pretty good with the exception of no3, and my corrections. so maybe I should go ahead and send another one in. certainly cant hurt

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

so you think the levels are fine? I cant then understand why, the corals dont look right. even my large hammer that should have purple tips, hasnt for about a year. it's healthy looking...fat and doing it's hammer thing, but the colors. acros, same thing. when I do my corrections with MS., they improve, but then they fade back out. Not the hammer, there's no change there. ICP was pretty good with the exception of no3, and my corrections. so maybe I should go ahead and send another one in. certainly cant hurt

Folks seem to always focus on icp and other chemistry aspects when the answer to coral issues can be all sorts of things, including lighting, flow, tank mates, bacteria pathogens, feeding, etc.

Lowering nitrate is a fine thing to try, but has no assurance of success in the particular issues noted.

 

[DanyL]

fair enough. But, pellets and flakes arent good either lol. what would you recommend? TDI they wont eat. a few will, but then po4 goes way up. flakes...messy so, I tried switching the foods around, some this time, something different the next. same issue.

I’ve been using Biopellets and dosing NaNo3 for quite a few years now, so it’s been awhile since I’ve taken attention to what I feed with. But back in the day I used to switch from frozen to any kind of pellets I had on hand and I did see a reduction after a few weeks of continued use.

I guess you could also compare the nutritional values they claim on the package as a benchmark, but I never did.

 

[DanyL]

Folks seem to always focus on icp and other chemistry aspects when the answer to coral issues can be all sorts of things, including lighting, flow, tank mates, bacteria pathogens, feeding, etc.

Lowering nitrate is a fine thing to try, but has no assurance of success in the particular issues noted.

I think that many times the increase in bacteria (as an attempt to decrease NO3/PO4) by itself is what in many occasions benefits the corals in practice, rather than the actual decrease in nutrients.

 

[Northern Flicker]

Folks seem to always focus on icp and other chemistry aspects when the answer to coral issues can be all sorts of things, including lighting, flow, tank mates, bacteria pathogens, feeding, etc.

Lowering nitrate is a fine thing to try, but has no assurance of success in the particular issues noted.

Randy, I never really see water changes recommended for high nitrates any more, but it’s always been effective for me. Is this no longer considered a viable way to control nitrates?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Randy, I never really see water changes recommended for high nitrates any more, but it’s always been effective for me. Is this no longer considered a viable way to control nitrates?

It's a fine way to bring down nitrate. In a very small tank it can be a good way. In a big tank, it's a very expensive way.

My intent in my personal tank implementation is to continue the 1% daily water changes I've used in the past. If the nitrate is 30 pm, that removes about 0.3 ppm per day. That can accomplish some stabilization of nitrate in some tanks.

 

[bkwonnn]

Have a look if your skimmer is set up correctly, if you have filter socks change out more frequently

 

[kriskool123]

I had 30+ppm nitrate in a 100 gallon sps system and I tried nopox up to 10ml a day dosing and I even tried an algae scrubber with no luck.

Finally since starting bacto balance by tropic marin my nitrate is going down with just 2ml a day . I do not notice a big hit to my ph like i did with no pox. my nitrate is finally around 15-20 and still going down. I think this is the best nitrate reduction tool i have used, my corals have the best PE I have seen and growth is great.

 

[saltyfins]

Have a look if your skimmer is set up correctly, if you have filter socks change out more frequently

Yes its set up correctly. That I know, and I think I could be a lot better about the socks. In fact, I'm sure I could buy more new ones.

 

[Foneman02]

I have been carbon dosing for years. I used to add nopox but it is too expensive. I have a 120 with approximately 100 gals of water including fuge. I started dosing 80 proof vodka. My nitrate runs between 5-10. My phosphate level is from 0.05-0.10. Vodka is cheap about $8 a bottle . I test water every 2 weeks. Hope this helps.

 

[Steve Fast]

here are some other good resources:

Reefkeeping Magazine - Vinegar Dosing Methodology for the Marine Aquarium

Reefkeeping ...an online magazine for the marine aquarist.

reefkeeping.com

Loading…

www.reefkeeping.com

NEW Vodka and Vinegar Dosing Charts

The reasons I'm updating the Vinegar and Vodka dosing charts are two-fold: 1. The ramp was unnecessarily slow. There was no perceived benefit to such a tedious ramp, and it led to reefers quitting because they thought carbon dosing didn't work. 2. The ramp did not scale up correctly...

www.reef2reef.com

i dose ~150ml/day of a mix of vodka, 45% vinegar, and dextrose in a 600 gallon system and i feed a lot more than you do.

 

[reefer2/19/24]

so I have tried vinegar, and am now using NoPox, and I am sitting at 32.2 for nitrates. My po4 is at 0.08 which typically would be good. I am dosing 20cc into 250 (figured it's close...300 gallons with 200 sand and 200 rocks) plus sump
skimmer is running and collecting, pH is 8.5
alk is 8.1
everything seems fine that way, but I cannot get them down. Should I just get my po4 up, and run this thing higher? things look "ok" some color but not like it should be. I am worried about them being that high, but maybe I should be a bit more aggressive on the NoPox, and just feed more nori?
I have 17 fish in this tank, and only 4 are large....I feed 2 frozen cubes a day. typically mysis or Rods.

any advice?
Thanks so much

I'm running a Rain2 turf scrubber and went from high nitrate and phosphate to almost bottoming out.

 

[Idech]

Have you tried a wet skimming water change ? You set your skimmer to overflow and direct the skimmate into a bucket. 5 gallons would be a lot of crap.

I have seen a video about it and it’s something I want to try. 2-3 gallons of that would be more efficient than a big WC.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Have you tried a wet skimming water change ? You set your skimmer to overflow and direct the skimmate into a bucket. 5 gallons would be a lot of crap.

I have seen a video about it and it’s something I want to try. 2-3 gallons of that would be more efficient than a big WC.

That method is a fine way to reduce organics, and perhaps thereby reduce nitrate in the long run, but it exports no nitrate directly, and I'd very skeptical of the better than a large water change at even removing organics.

 

[saltyfins]

Have you tried a wet skimming water change ? You set your skimmer to overflow and direct the skimmate into a bucket. 5 gallons would be a lot of crap.

I have seen a video about it and it’s something I want to try. 2-3 gallons of that would be more efficient than a big WC.

Can you post the link? Mind you, this is a glass jar thats 300 gallons, with sump. I am not sure about letting it overflow...and IDK how that would get into a bucket....?

 

[saltyfins]

I'm running a Rain2 turf scrubber and went from high nitrate and phosphate to almost bottoming out.

well that's just it. phosphates are ok. it's the nitrates. I'm just thinking that maybe this is how my tank chooses to run, and that bumping up the po4, would get me back into alignment... but again. I'm not sure

 

[saltyfins]

here are some other good resources:

Reefkeeping Magazine - Vinegar Dosing Methodology for the Marine Aquarium

Reefkeeping ...an online magazine for the marine aquarist.

reefkeeping.com

Loading…

www.reefkeeping.com

NEW Vodka and Vinegar Dosing Charts

The reasons I'm updating the Vinegar and Vodka dosing charts are two-fold: 1. The ramp was unnecessarily slow. There was no perceived benefit to such a tedious ramp, and it led to reefers quitting because they thought carbon dosing didn't work. 2. The ramp did not scale up correctly...

www.reef2reef.com

i dose ~150ml/day of a mix of vodka, 45% vinegar, and dextrose in a 600 gallon system and i feed a lot more than you do.

Thank You. I will look at these

 

[saltyfins]

I had 30+ppm nitrate in a 100 gallon sps system and I tried nopox up to 10ml a day dosing and I even tried an algae scrubber with no luck.

Finally since starting bacto balance by tropic marin my nitrate is going down with just 2ml a day . I do not notice a big hit to my ph like i did with no pox. my nitrate is finally around 15-20 and still going down. I think this is the best nitrate reduction tool i have used, my corals have the best PE I have seen and growth is great.

I have some of this, not opened. My understanding however, is that it is meant to hold nutrients where they are...not drop them. Am I wrong on this?

 

[schooncw]

I have some of this, not opened. My understanding however, is that it is meant to hold nutrients where they are...not drop them. Am I wrong on this?

I am interested in any responses to this. I use Fauna Marin Bacto Energy and run biopellets as well. My PO is a constant 1.0 and NO3 50-70 . All coral in my LPS dominant 120 doing very well and no nuisance algae.

 

[Idech]

Can you post the link? Mind you, this is a glass jar thats 300 gallons, with sump. I am not sure about letting it overflow...and IDK how that would get into a bucket....?

Here is the video. You use a hose to drain onto a bucket. There is a plug on your skimmer that you just remove, for that purpose.